Cotton elevator and separator.



0. n. BENEFIELD.

Patented July 22, i902.

COTTON ELEVATOR AND SEPABA-T A monia filed Mar. 5, 1901.

(No Model) Wbbwases X 1- UNITED STATES Y T ()FFIcE.

OHAUNOEY R. BENEFIELD, OFALPIKA, MISSISSIPPI.

it -COTTON-ELEVATORAND SEPARATOR.

sPEoIFIcA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,374, dated July 22, 1902.

' Application filed March 5, 1901.

To all wZaOjn it may concern:

Be'it'kn'own that I, CHAUNCEY R. BENE' FIELD, a citizen'ofitheUnited States, residing at Alpikagin the county of De Soto and State of Mississippi; have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton Elevators and Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in that class of pneumatic elevators by which cotton andsimilar substances are raised and then released and deposited. at a selected point by variation of air-pressure.

The; feature of novelty is hereinafter de scribed in connection with other cooperating parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation on the center-line of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an elevationpn the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3-is a horizontal'section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. I

The, apparatus includes a tubular curved chute provided at its lower end with a cloth or other flexible valve B, shown open in the views, which is adapted to close automatically after the discharge of certain weight of cotton from the chute.

G is an air-suction pipe leading to a suctionfan. (Not shown.)

D isa screen which is arranged in the upper curved portion of'chute A, and serves to separate the trash and dust from the cotton.

.This screen is separated from the upper side of the chute by a narrow space into which the dust is received and conducted to pipe C.

E E are arms extending horizontally in the portion of the cotton-pipe A leading from the wagon or other supply, and the same are pro- Vided with teeth G, extending downward and serving to straighten the cotton and loosen the dirt and sand from same. These arms E are spread out fan-shaped, as shown in Fig. 3, so that they spread the cotton laterally and distributeit- 'evenly over the entire screen D, thus bringing. into use a larger screening-surface EUldIDOIG thoroughly removing dirt and sand.

I indicates a glass-covered opening or winton and air carrying the same strike the inher surface of the screen tangentially, and

dow to permit observation of the cotton held Serial No. 49.881. (No 'model.)

against the screen D and in the cotton-chute The screen D is so curved that the cotby'so doing the cotton is at the same time given an impetus doWn'ward,-:which causes it to drop into the cotton-chute A, while the dust and sand pass through the screen and are carried olf into pipe 0. It willbe understood that when asufficient amount of cotton has been deposited in the chute A its weight overcomes the suctionrortension due to the suction of the air, and it drops and passes through the valve B. 'lhisvalve is formed of a cylinder of fabric and is kept from" sucking up into the chute A by fixed arinsJ, that extend downward from the chute and are fastened to the cloth at K.

In operation the cotton-pipe F is duly extended and connected to the cotton-supply. in the'wagon or other receptacle, and the suction-fan (not shown) connected to the pipe 0 is put into action, vwhereby cotton is drawn into F, past the toothed bars E, and against the screen D by which the dust and sand are extracted and the cotton given a downward impulse, which being resisted by gravity dislodges the cotton from the screen and causes it to drop into the'vertical part of chute A. When a sufficient quantity of cotton has accumulated in the'chute, it overcomes the suction in the pipe C and drops downward, opening the valve 13. \Vhen the valve B is relieved of the weight of cotton in the chute A, itis again closed by the suction of the air and the'cyole ofoperatious is again begun.

A flat pivoted valve H is arranged in the side of air-suction pipe 0, so that the tension of the vacuum maybe relieved manually'and at will, as when the quantity or weight of cotton held in the chute A is too small to cause automatic discharge. The valve H is operated by cords K. 1 f

It will be understood that the closure of the valve B is effected automaticallyby contraction or puckering of its free end. What I claim is- In a pneumatic elevator of the class de scribed, the combination with'the chute, a

screen, a cotton-receiving pipe, of a series of I name to this specification in the presence of bars arranged horizontally and with their intwo subscribing witnesses.

ner ends divergin the same bein" provided 1 'with hooks, subst z antially as shor n and de- CHAUNCEY BENLB IELD' 5 scribed, whereby the cotton is spread later- Witnesses:

ally and distributed in the manner specified. J. H. WEATHERFORD,

In testimony whereof I have signed my R. T. LAMB. 

